Credit: Sony PicturesThe beloved Ghostbusters franchise, not unlike the superhero stories of Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has managed to remain in the cultural zeitgeist of legacy film properties, while finding a whole new generation of fans.
It seems, however, that there’s just something about The Walt Disney Company-owned Marvel intellectual property now — once thought to be pop-culturally evergreen — that appears to have soured in the minds of fans and stars alike.
Related: Sony Pictures Announces ‘Ghostbusters’ 2016 Movie Sequel
Though Marvel has frequently been cited to have slipped in quality, resulting in an alleged “superhero fatigue” from less-than-stellar storytelling, it’s not like the Ghostbusters franchise has been devoid of criticism either.
In fact, the ever-contentious Ghostbusters: Answer the Call from 2016, starring Kristen Wiig (Erin Gilbert), Melissa McCarthy (Abby Yates), Leslie Jones (Patty Tolan), Kate McKinnon (Jillian Holtzmann), and Chris Hemsworth (Kevin Beck), seems unable to escape controversy.
Following the film’s release to decent critic reviews but a vocal outcry from a section of fans calling the female-led team “woke”, Sony Pictures quickly re-established the original Ghostbusters timeline from the 1984 film of the same name with the follow-up sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), led by the son of the late Ivan Reitman, director Jason Reitman. Now, continuing the saga is its sequel, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, a supernatural comedy in the same vein as its predecessors. Helmed by Gil Kenan, who also contributed to the screenplay alongside Jason Reitman, it stars a bevy of stars — some Marvel actors themselves, and others (once) Marvel hopefuls.
Why Are Actors Distancing Themselves From Marvel?
Related: Disney Refreshes MCU’s Multiverse Entirely: Report
Marvel is no longer the hot bag for actors it once was. Either due to a weakening public perception or a drop in the quality of original storytelling (or both), the latest Hollywood actor to attempt to distance themselves from the property is Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire star Finn Wolfhard.
While doing press for the movie, Trevor Spengler actor and new Ghostbusters star Finn Wolfhard took a polygraph or “lie detector” test as part of an interview with Vanity Fair. A key feature of a test like this? The apparent ability of the test’s operator to detect whether a person is telling the truth via bodily responses, such as spikes in heart rate.
Wolfhard was clearly worried about being caught in a lie and thus spoke rather candidly about his current lack of interest in joining the Marvel universe and superhero world. Faced with the question about whether he had asked Paul Rudd (Ant-Man/Scott Lang in the MCU) to “put in a good word for [him]” over at Marvel Studios, having previously been keen on an in with Marvel, Wolfhard eventually admitted that he had not, due to the fact the recent Marvel films have been “mid”, AKA “middling”:
Vanity Fair: You’ve expressed interest that you wanted to be in a Marvel film.Wolfhard: Yes, in the past, yes.VF: Have you asked your co-star Paul Rudd to put in a good word for you with the head of Marvel?Wolfhard: No.VF: Is it because MCU films have been mid recently?Wolfhard: Yes.
Asked if he thought he could save the “mid” Marvel franchise, he said no, adding that he doesn’t think he can “single-handedly” do that for Marvel. Of course, the implication here is that it needs saving to begin with.
Clearly, some of Marvel’s original shine has tarnished in young Wolfhard’s eyes. Unfortunately, it seems like he isn’t the only one who has found the MCU luster fading, as reports from inside sources have indicated difficulties with casting (and getting those actors to stick) behind the scenes.
After Robert Downey Jr.’s exit as Iron Man/Tony Stark and Chris Evans’ retirement as Captain America/Steve Rogers, the MCU has embarked on a fresh chapter — the Multiverse Saga — and with its current state and future still unknown, there’s definitely room for new heroes to take these iconic heroes’ places. It does not seem as if Wolfhard will be a part of this new crop of Avengers, however.
Do you think that Marvel Studios can turn things around? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Ghostbusters
In the original Ghostbusters film, which debuted in 1984, Bill Murray portrayed Dr. Peter Venkman, the team’s witty and charismatic leader, while Dan Aykroyd played Dr. Raymond Stantz, an enthusiastic scientist. Harold Ramis portrayed Dr. Egon Spengler, a brilliant but socially awkward paranormal researcher, and Ernie Hudson played Winston Zeddemore, the pragmatic newcomer to the Ghostbusters team.
In the cast of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Paul Rudd stars as Gary Grooberson alongside Carrie Coon as Callie Spengler, Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spengler, and McKenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler. Other notable cast members include Kumail Nanjiani as Nadeem Razmaadi, Patton Oswalt as Dr. Hubert Wartzki, Celeste O’Connor as Lucky Domingo, Logan Kim as Podcast, and Emily Alyn Lind as Melody. James Acaster appears as Dr. Lars Pinfield, while franchise veterans and original Ghostbuster crew Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts reprise their iconic roles as Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Raymond “Ray” Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, and Janine Melnitz respectively. William Atherton returns as Mayor Walter Peck. Additionally, Kevin Mangold and Ian Whyte handle the puppeteering for Slimer and Garraka, with Shelby Young and Ryan Bartley providing the voices for the Mini-Pufts, who are tiny versions of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, with Young reprising her role from Afterlife.